Baja-Style Cilantro Rice

Some of the more popular Mexican-style restaurants have their own unique versions of this simple, yet flavorful rice dish, which tends to be a well-kept secret when you start to inquire about the ingredients.

Now I don’t claim to be an ace detective here, but I do enjoy unmasking the subtle spices in popular dishes and recreating them into real food favorites.

I think you’ll find this easy recipe to be a delicious replica of one of the more popular Baja style rice dishes out there – without any of the unhealthy ingredients, of course! It makes the perfect side to just about any Mexican-themed meal, as well as pairs nicely with many Asian-inspired dishes as well.

And in case you’re wondering about the health benefits of white rice, I highly recommend this article on brown vs. white rice. For those who can tolerate grains, it’s not a health-compromise to enjoy a homemade white rice dish on occasion. In fact, it may actually be easier on your gut than brown rice, especially if prepared using homemade bone broth.

Plus, unlike brown rice, milled rice (white rice) does not require soaking. That’s because the outer bran/germ layer as been removed, which contains the highest levels of phytic acid. So for some, white rice may actually be easier to digest. Of course, this may not be the case for those who are grain sensitive and are therefore following a grain-free diet.

In a medium saucepan, over medium heat, melt the butter and add all the seasons. Stir well to combine.

Add the rice and stir well, making sure all of the rice is well coated with the butter-seasoning mixture. Cook the rice, stirring constantly for about 2-3 minutes.

Then, increase the heat to high and add the bone broth and water. Once the rice comes to a gentle boil, cover the saucepan and reduce the heat to low/simmer. (I know it’s tough to resist, but don't peek under the lid.)

Allow rice to cook about 15 minutes. Then turn off the burner and remove the pan from the heat.

Let the rice sit, covered, for an additional 5 minutes. (Again, try not to peek under the lid, or you’ll allow the steam to escape.)

Then, remove the lid and add the minced cilantro. Fluff the rice with a fork to separate the grains and distribute the cilantro throughout the rice. (You can also create a delicious Veggie Confetti Style Rice by adding an assortment of fine-diced sautéed veggies. See recipe note below.)

You can serve the rice immediately, or put the lid back on to keep it warm while you finish cooking the rest of your meal. Enjoy!

Notes

Recipe Variation: For a delicious Veggie Confetti Rice dish, heat a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add a tablespoon or two of ghee (or butter) and sauté one-and-a-half cups of your favorite fine-diced veggies, such as onion, bell peppers, mushrooms, carrot and zucchini. Set aside. Prepare the cilantro rice according to recipe above. Then, toss in the sautéed veggies and combine as noted in step 6 of the recipe above. Absolutely delicious and nutritious!

Hi, Brooke. I’ve haven’t had Chipotle’s rice, but I would envision that you could add some lime zest to this recipe and see what you think in tweaking it from there to try to replicate. The spices in this rice are common among baja-style rice dishes. This one tastes very similar to Wahoos, which was my goal. Wahoos is a very popular baja-style Mexican restaurant in CA. Blessings, Kelly 🙂

Hi, Hilary. So glad you’re enjoying the recipes here. Appreciate your kind words. As far as brown and white rice, yes, there is a significant difference in cook times. Brown rice requires a far greater cook time because the tough outer later (bran) is still intact. So yes, you will need to cook the brown rice as directed on the package. I also recommend soaking brown rice prior to cooking, as described in this article: http://thenourishinghome.com/2012/03/how-to-soak-grains-for-optimal-nutrition/ Blessings, Kelly 🙂

Have made these twice now and they are delicious – though I wouldn’t say they are hard – made in my food processor – thought I messed up tonight because I halved the recipe but forgot to half the water and had to add more flour – but these were yummier than the first lot – don’t know if it is a different flour – seemed to have more husks in it. Well worth the bit of effort.

Oops wrong posting – feel free to delete – meant to put above post on a recipe for whole wheat tortillas – which we had tonight with the above rice – which was a wonderful touch to what can become boring steamed rice. Also had with leftover crockpot chicken salsa (Save the Crumbs) – I’m amazed at how much food we have and how one meal can become 2 or more. Makes me feel truly blessed to have access to such wonderful information and such fresh healthy food. Count your blessings.

I’ve made this twice in the last month. My husband isn’t generally a fan of rice, but both times he’s told me he “can’t believe how much” he likes this! Everything we’ve tried from your site has been good, so I guess we shouldn’t be surprised. 🙂 We appreciate you and your mission to help people eat nutritiously in a way that honors God and His creation. Thank you!

Did you used to have a different variation of Cilantro Rice — I think called Cilantro Lime Rice? 4-5 weeks ago, I started following your meal plans and we had a different cilantro rice than this one. I wanted to change it up and make the old one, but I’m having trouble finding it. If you know what I’m talking about, would you mind linking it for me? Thanks so much!!!

I often use links to other blogger’s recipes I like. I believe you’re talking about my friend Debra’s recipe: http://www.worthcooking.net/cilantro-lime-rice/ This is linked to her delicious Green Chicken recipe that I make often and put on the meal plan. 🙂

Love this recipe. We have been making about once a week using our rice cooker. It’s great with Mexican or Asian dishes. I am hooked on both styles of food flavors and anything with cilantro this pregnancy.

So glad you’re enjoying this recipe. If you are craving cilantro, have you tried my chimichurri sauce. It’s great for cilantro lovers – just increase the cilantro and decrease the parsley. Yum! http://thenourishinghome.com/2013/06/chimichurri-sauce/ Prayers for a healthy, happy pregnancy and delivery! 🙂

Thank you. We tried the chimichurri sauce tonight for supper. Just delicious! I used your cilantro rice recipe on the bottom, hoppin john black eyed pea recipe from Stacymakescents.com (with extra veggies & turkey ham added), we put a spoonful of sour cream over that and topped our sour cream and side of corn bread with the chimichurri sauce. It was very, very good even though it might sound weird. The flavors complimented each other from start to finish. My kids, I have 9, all ate it great and asked if we could make it that way from now on. It was my first top making the hoppin johns (crock – pot recipe), I usually make bean soup which does get complaints from a few. Those few loved everything on their plates tonight. We will use our leftovers in corn tortillas for lunch tomorrow. Thanks again for the lead to another great recipe!

Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a note. BTW, I love Stacy – she is such a sweetheart! And your combination sounds great to me. WOW – 9 kids – you are the MOM of the year in my book! Thanks again for your sweet encouragement. You are a blessing – and a great Mom! 🙂

Trackbacks

[…] family does eat white rice on occasion. If you want to add this to your recipe, I’d recommend this real food version of cilantro rice or even this Quinoa version. We don’t eat many beans, but you could also add those if you […]

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Comment

Name *

Email *

Website

Time limit is exhausted. Please reload CAPTCHA. + four = 5

Notify me of follow-up comments by email.

Notify me of new posts by email.

My New Cookbook is Here!

Welcome to The Nourishing Home!

I’m so glad you’re here and want you to feel right at home! My heart in creating this blog is to help you by sharing helpful meal planning strategies and nourishing GF recipes that are healthy, easy and delicious with thanksgiving to God! [Read More …]

All content (recipes, photos, posts, etc.) on this site is the creative property of Kelly Smith. You are welcome to share a photo via social media, as long as it contains a link back to the corresponding recipe or post from this site. However, you may not republish a recipe in its entirety in any form. For questions, or for permission to use a photo or recipe, please contact me via email at [email protected] Thank you!

Please Note: All content (recipes, photos, text, etc.) on this site is the creative property of Kelly Smith of The Nourishing Home. You are welcome to share a photo via social media, as long as it contains a link back to the corresponding recipe from this site. However, re-publishing a recipe in any form is strictly prohibited. Additionally, please refrain from adapting recipes without properly linking back to the original recipe, and keep in mind that simple substitutions do not constitute an adapted or original recipe. For details regarding recipe copyright law, please visit the Food Blog Alliance.

The Nourishing Home is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.